What a week. I’d just got into a little bubble of cruising through life, working when I felt like it. But freelancing just doesn’t work like that. So this week, I’ve unexpectedly had quite a lot of work from three clients. Plus the usual bits and pieces going on with blogging and social media. And all of a sudden, the peace was shattered. I managed to protect my Monday morning swim though – but who wouldn’t when it means swimming in here in glorious sunshine? Late nights We had a lovely weekend with a party on Saturday night to celebrate…

You could feel the anticipation and excitement in the air as the children gathered on their school playground. Reporters and camera crews milled around waiting for the doors to open. Then a cheer went up from the children as a door swung open and their heroes walked towards them. Gearing up for the Muller Anniversary Games It was 2012 and my new baby was just eight weeks old. We bundled her into a baby carrier and packed so many items of baby equipment you could have been forgiven for thinking we were going away for a month. We’d been lucky…

Every now and then, the pace of life slows down a little. It’s never for long, especially not at this time of year. In fact, things picked back up today with an early start for me and Lia to head to London. But while it lasted, I enjoyed taking things a little slower. The Cotswolds We live a short distance from the Cotswolds and it’s one of my favourite parts of the country. Even the buildings are beautiful, built from Cotswold Stone which has a very distinctive yellowy colour. And yet, it’s quite rare for us to head over that…

This is a collaborative post. Working from home isn’t for everyone. It’s one of those things that people think they want to do, but the reality of living the dream can be quite different. So, how do you end up as someone who sits in bed on a Sunday morning working on a laptop? There are a few factors, some positive and others not so great. You might call it the perfect storm. Work ethic Not so long ago, I was chatting to a client about remote working. He works in an environment where everyone is predominantly office based. People…

This week has mostly been about Libby, which is just the way she likes it. She seems to be growing up before my eyes, having turned six years old on Monday. The triathlon Before Libby came along, my husband and I had both started to get quite into triathlon. We’d competed in a few, both sprint and olympic distance. I personally settled on the olympic distance. 1500 metres swim, 40km cycle and a 10km run. My times weren’t record breaking, but they weren’t bad either. I’ve always been a keen swimmer and reluctant runner. I have a love-hate relationship with…

Monday mornings have never been my friend. Waving goodbye to the weekend and embracing chaos, stress and work has never been my thing. But recently, something changed and they are now my favourite part of the week. Why? Because for the past few weeks I’ve been swimming in a local river every Monday morning. And not only have my Mondays improved, but my entire week. Before telling me I must be mad, have a look at the amazing things open water swimming does for you. I’ve also interspersed a few photos of the places I’ve swam in recent years. Because…

*This is a paid for post/advert* Nearly three years ago, a split second decision by another driver changed our lives forever. Looking back, I don’t know how I got through the day, never mind the next few months. And when something like that happens, it changes your whole outlook on life. Facing up to the inconvenient truth It happened on a Tuesday. Libby had started a new dance class and my husband should have been home before us. When he wasn’t back, I assumed he’d been delayed at work or stopped at the shop. As time dragged on, I wondered…